OpenAir at SXSW: Alisha's final thoughts

I was talking with Colorado musician Rob Drabkin on Twitter yesterday about the "SXSW sniffles," the reaction your body has due to lack to sleep, barely taking time to eat and hydrate, flying in a plane, etc. That's the kind of cold I have now, my body aches, my nose is sore, and sleep deprivation is catching up to me.

Behind my tired and shabby exterior, I came out of my first SXSW experience more excited than ever about Colorado music, pleased to have made some new friends in the industry (and see longtime friends too), and overall just proud to be a part of a radio station that supports so many great bands from all over. Thanks Austin, Texas for making me and thousands of other people feel like rockstars in your "Lone Star State."

5 BUZZ BANDS THAT PEOPLE KEPT TALKING ABOUT, INCLUDING ME:

First of all, I must say that the word on the street wasn't all about Lady Gaga, that was something that was being force fed to everyone watching the festival from afar. I didn't hear from one person that actually said they wanted to see or that went to see her perform.

St. Vincent

Future Islands

Damon Albarn

Aloe Blaac

Phantogram

BONUS: On my last night at the festival, I kept hearing the Utah band name Desert Noises being thrown around from some Denver friends.

5 COLORADO MUSIC PARTY MOMENTS:

Colorado Music Party organizers went into the event with this mission: to amplify the Colorado music scene, develop our professional artists, promote Colorado as a progressive cultural destination, and grow local economies. Personally, I feel like the party accomplished all of this and then some, there was a lot of support from (and for) Colorado. I left with a special connection to the organizers, bands, staff, volunteers feeling like we bonded and will forever have this shared memory.

Getting a personal shout out from Kalyn Heffernan of Wheelchair Sports Camp during their set.

Our audio engineer showing me how loud The Epilogues were really playing by the shake of his glass of water.

Kevin Lyman, creator of Warped Tour, discovering a. tom collins.

Dragondeer and Shakey Graves for killing it during their at-capacity sets on Day Two.

Ark Life commenting about how 90% of the audience was people they didn't know (i.e. they love playing to a new crowd).

5 BANDS WE PLAY ON OPENAIR I REALLY WANTED TO SEE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T: